Patriots Manage Disappointing Road Win Against AFC Finalist

The Patriots defeated the Colts 34-27 in Indianapolis thanks in part to a disastrous fake punt attempt by the Colts, who were in desperation mode all night, having previously attempted a first-half on-sides kick.

The Patriots were able to pull away in the second half – a last minute Colts touchdown made the score closer than the game really was at that point.

While some might view the final result as a disappointment – I even saw some Patriots fans on Twitter saying that the game felt like a loss – let’s not forget that this was a road win in an extremely hostile environment, against the team that most experts prior to the season were picking to represent the AFC in the next Super Bowl. Perspective, people.

It seemed that the Patriots took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, opting for a very conservative finish – something I attribute to injuries already sustained and not wanting to risk more.

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I’m going to cut this short today, because it is the first day at my new job. After 12 years in the IT Department at Manchester Airport in NH, today I’m starting with Automattic.com, and working primarily on WordPress.com. BSMW has been built on WordPress since 2008, and getting to work with WordPress every day should make the site better as I improve my own skills with the product. (The new message board is also built with WordPress.)

I’ll also be working from home, with great online co-workers, and getting many more great perks. Yes, they’re hiring –Work With Us.

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Published by Bruce Allen

Maybe it’s because I’m currently reading the Percy Jackson series (more like devouring like popcorn), but this win felt like a hero’s quest – go to a horrible place (Hades, or Circe’s island), steal the Golden Fleece and get the hell out before you get turned into pigs.

As for that botched play – whatever the hell is was supposed to be, I still don’t know what they were trying to accomplish – did Pagano actually think they were going to rattle/fool a Belichick-coached team? If you’re going try something like that, make damn sure your players can do it in their sleep.

I give credit to Brady for his subdued attitude after the game. The offense had a very sloppy 4th quarter, continually putting the ball back into Luck’s hands and failing to give the defense a breather. The fact that Brady was obviously conscious of and disappointed by this is one of the things that separates him from the herd.

Eisen’s a Michigan alumn, too. He’s always been a big Brady booster. But, hey, the Shield keeps his 7-figure salary coming in every year, and if I had to choose between being able to afford another ivory back scratcher (h/t Monty Burns) and backing up my fellow Wolverine, it would be a no-brainer.

Guys — I need to tell you all this. I was playing with my daughter this weekend. We were playing with her little basketball and net in the driveway, even though it was a little cold out. I noticed that the ball wasn’t bouncing the way it had in the summer. It felt a little soft, as a matter of fact. I had to put a little air into it to firm it up.

I think you see where I’m going here. There’s really only one conclusion that can be drawn from all this: at some point, John Jastremski and Jim McNally MUST have broken into my house and intentionally deflated my daughter’s basketball. THERE IS NO OTHER POSSIBLE EXPLANATION.

I expect fines, suspensions, and draft pick removal, and will accept nothing else.

Mine too…I had to top off the tires in my Prius today. Yes I drive a prius…I drive 60,000 miles a year. Anyway…I was thinking…I wonder if the NFL would believe me that the pressure in the tires which I set 2 weeks ago at 35 PSI today was at 30PSI…the difference in temp only went from 84F to 34F.

Amidst the reports last week that Kraft and Goodell are bestest buddies again (the thought of which makes me physically ill, unless Kraft is surreptitiously creating a Michael Corleone/Hyman Roth type of relationship with Goodell and opting to keep his enemies closer than his friends), I guess the naïve child still buried deep down inside of my aging, obese frame continues to hold on to a glimmer of hope that Goodell will announce at his annual Super Bowl presser that the league’s PSI testing throughout the season proved that Ideal Gas Law can be the only explanation for what happened to the footballs in the AFCCG last year, and so he’s vacating draft pick sanctions against the Pats. And, as a “good faith” gesture, he’s asking Kraft to “voluntarily donate” what was originally characterized as a $1M fine to charity in place of what would normally be the $25,000 equipment irregularity fine (which Goodell, to save face, could say is warranted because Dorito Dink #1 brought the ball bag into the restroom when he took a pre-game leak). I know……I’m delusional. The other 31 would never stand for it (and Gregg Doyel, Kravitz and Hubbach would cry….actual human tears).

Right, I meant that Goodell could save face by saying that instead of the standard $25K fine for the equipment violation, he’s asking Kraft to pay $1M directly to charity as a good-faith gesture for Dorito Dink taking the balls in the bathroom while he pee’d and creating “bad optics,” or something like that. I assume the usual process is that they NFL gives the fine money to charity after the fined party pays the league directly. Could be a big assumption. Eh….not gonna happen anyway. Like I said, the other 31 would never allow it and the media gas bags would be blowing enough hot air to launch every balloon within a 10,000 mile radius.

He may survive this. Remember, this is the same school that eventually rehired that paragon of virtue Bobby Petrino. I’m just waiting for the first YouTube video by giddy Kentucky fans which spoofs this story using the “Boats and Ho’s” video from the movie “Step Brothers.”

Ken Ford is still around. At least he was as of 2013. I have not heard of his passing. With Pittino out of town (and soon to be out of a job by the looks of the ESPN story) and Scott Cordiche not available on a regular basis to promote his schtick I think he just moved on to other things.

ty. Jersey used to call in to Andy Gresh’s show as well. I remember when Jersey used to call in and rail against Belichick from the very start of his tenure with the Patriots. He used to bring up Belichick’s married mistress all the time and how he stabbed Parcells in the back. He would use that to question everything about him and his program. Find that really hysterical in hindsight considering how he loves Pitino and the ground he walks on. Also another irony. Another good friend of his was Cordishe who if anyone remembers was busted with a prostitute after the Pats/Rams Super Bowl and he was also a newlywed. He was on the wall defending Scott, hypocrite. You know who was also tight with that whole group? ANDY GRESH. He knows a lot of this seamly behinds the scenes stuff going on with that Pintino/PC Friars connection/790 The score circle that was going on Providence back in the day.

Belichick stabbed Parcells in the back? Wasn’t Parcells the guy who ran up about $1,000 worth of long distance phone calls to the Jets’ offices in New York during Super Bowl week in New Orleans in 1997? You know, when he was supposed to be coaching the Patriots in the biggest game of the year? Wasn’t Parcells also the guy who ran out on the Giants in 1991, several weeks after the Super Bowl, thus leaving management with nothing but table scraps to pick through in order to find their next head coach? Belichick had already left for Cleveland; Coughlin for BC; and all the other non-Giants-affiliated coaching candidates had been hired elsewhere already. I know Giants’ fans who still have Ray Handley-caused nightmares. Oh, and wasn’t Parcells the guy who tried to run out on his FIRST Giants contract after winning Super Bowl 20 in 1987? Hugh Culverhouse down in Tampa had a sweet offer for him, and Parcells wanted it — the Giants said, “Um, Bill, you’ve got a contract with us, so you either coach here, or you don’t coach at all.” Sound familiar? But Belichick….he’s the bad guy? Those Jersey guys stick together I guess, no matter what.

Exactly. Always the case BB. This is where Bill’s demeanor with the media makes his proffessional life a little tougher on him. Parcells is beloved because of his personailty even though he’s fucked over just about everybody he’s ever done buisness with,even left his family. Barely a peep. Bill gets the stop watch on how long his hand shakes are with fellow coaches and if it’s not long enough for some media members liking they go on the warpath to call him classless. It’s ashame that the media is so petty as to let their lack of personal interaction with Belichick affect the way they cover him but it does. That’s just reality. If Parcells got caught with cameras in the wrong place, I firmly believe there would have been no spygate. Would’ve been resolved in days with a small fine and silence from the media.

To the media, Parcells was like that loudmouthed, verbally abusive father who is sometimes unfaithful to their mom, but whom they love anyway, because he keeps the heat on during the winter and keeps their bellies full (i.e.–he was a quote machine; and even when he was berating them, he was good copy). Belichick is like the stoic father figure who provides all the material necessities that Parcells provided, and remains loyal to mom, but who has a hard time displaying affection, and so the relationship is icy. Clumsy metaphors, perhaps, but Parcells’ penchant for providing spectacular 30-second sound bites is why the media always overlooked his tirades against them. BB’s unwillingness to play that game is why he’s still reviled by so many of them, even though he’s never been directly abusive, or even disrespectful to anyone in that press room.

There are very few people in media I dislike more than Cordishe. He is the single most despicable person in NE media. How he has a job and a marriage after the crap he did is beyond me. That whole incestuous click was notorious. Jersey Red, Steve from Fall River who did time for book making…he actually called the show a few times from a jail pay phone, George from Wakefield…the whole lot of them had nothing interesting to offer other than bad betting advice, anti Pats comments and sycophantic Celtics talk. What amazed me about Steve From Fall River situation was when Cordische in his announcer voice told the audience that Steve had some issues he needed to work out and that he hoped he would do it soon. They tried to make celebrities out of the callers to emulate what WEEI did with Butch from the Cape. It was bad. But the worst part of the whole thing was they all genuflected at the alter of Pittino. The people I knew at PC when he was there despised him and his always looking over your shoulder to see who the next person into the room ways. No wonder Chuck Wilson got out of town so quickly. He must have seen the writing on the wall.

I used to like Cordishe’s show when he first started. I remember when he took over for Chuck Wilson on the 6pm shift on WPRO. Loved Chuck Wilson. Cordishe definitely passed himself off as a goody two shoes. You seem to know quite a bit. Do you know what ever happened to “coach” Colleto?

John Colletto had recently been doing a local origin contract radio show on Saturday mornings on 103.7 with Cordishe…although the last few times I caught some of the show I did not hear him. I know he is in PR or production of some sort in Providence…maybe Synergy or a firm like that but I do not know too much more.

thanks. It sounds lame but i grew up listening to them so that’s why I’m curious. I was 12 when i started listening to sports talk at night on WPRO then the score. Didn’t listen to WEEI till like around 95. I still have a little fondness for the local sports station i grew up listening to. I’m the one of handful of guys who still misses a little PC Friars talk. 🙂

It is not lame… I am the guy on this board who has begged WEEI to hire Chuck Wilson and put him on instead of Planet Mikey. Sean McAdam was Chuck Wilson’s intern for a number of years. Loved the old Calling all Sports on WPRO. It was the Score that I had real issues with.

I have argued in this forum and others that Chuck Wilson has been the best radio talk person locally or nationally for the past 40 years. Unfortunately his calm, informed, well researched style only produces great radio…but not bombastic must listen to schtick that ESPN and others so crave.

Wilson, like Dale Arnold, would never get a job if he were just starting out in today’s sports radio. The “Look at me, I’m outrageous” types – Felger, Minihane, Bertrand – are what everyone wants to hire. Mutt is finding this out the hard way right now.

I completely agree…which kills me because I much prefer Dale and Chuck to anything not he air now. Its funny you mention Muttansky. The “feud” between he and Mike Adams that went as far as management and was discussed at length by the morning show is emblematic of the problems talk radio has today. Personally I don’t think Muttansky is any good. However he works hard, does his homework, and there should be a place for him with the right partner (Lou Merloni is not that partner…Kirk Minihane might be). Having said that…in any battle between Adams style, approach and professionalism (or lack there of) and Muttansky’s I take the NH guy.

I think Adams is hearing footsteps. He was basically sent home for the summer and I doubt management has any emotional attachment to him. There are a lot of hungry guys out there (Mutt, Villani, Arcand, Picard) who would probably be willing to work the night shift solo for less money than Adams is making. Even Tanguay (ugh) might be a threat if Merloni stays with the midday show.

As much as I would love for this to be true…have you seen Mikey’s ratings? I believe his is the only WEEI to consistently beat 98.5. As much as I hate him he has a loyal audience, comprised mainly of old people, drunks and drug addicts but it is a loyal audience. What I find amusing is his show averages similar numbers to Sox games which Intercom way over paid.

I think WEEI should look to go younger and more long form at night. I keep saying a sports version of the John Bachelor show would be nirvana. If they are bring in guys to do an ADAM Jones necessitation of the day time shows then leave Mikey where he is.

Ah, you were born too late for the golden age of Friar talk on the radio. There used to be a grouchy old guy named Gus Parmet who had a weeknight show on (I think) the old WEAN (790) in the mid to late 70’s. Literally all he cared about was the Friars, 52 weeks a year. The Red Sox might get a passing mention if they were lucky but the Pats/Bruins/Celtics simply did not exist for Gus. I always pictured him delivering his broadcast in the soft glow of an illuminated life-size plastic statue of Dave Gavitt.

I don’t think Gresh and Coletto had any issues. I remember when they brought Zolak in management thought that was kind of a coup. There were definitely issues between Gresh and Lawrence. How she still has a job in radio and a national job at that baffles me. She always sounded like the tomboy sister that wanted to play rather than someone who really understood the game. I could not stand listening to her. Fresh over the years has referred to her in passing on air as “that chick I used to work with”, “some broad I used to know” and “that girl who I used to babysit”.

I’ll never forget the day after Game 7 in 03. Amy Lawrence started crying on air. She was on in the morning after with Colletto. He was trying to talk to her about the game and she couldn’t. She was embarrassing. I remember coach telling her that she had to talk because it’s her job. Almost like the Suzy/Torre breakdown.

So I just listened to the segment on D&C. What do you guys think of this latest “thing” with Minihane? Is this just another Howard Stern bit, the renegade going after big bad management or is this guy really an unstable,unprofessional, entitled brat who just doesn’t get it? Does he really want to burn every bridge in the buisness? What is his end game here? And what was up with Fred Toucher threatening to sue Minihane? Did he and Tony Mazz really get Minihane banned on Comcast and if they didn’t is that something Fred could sue for? Just a weird time for D&C. It seems that the wider the gap gets between them and T&R the more they talk about them and the Hub.

Minihane played it very cagey, saying that “someone” at Comcast had told him the Mazz and Fred had gone to management and demanded that he be banned. Then Minihane said that he wasn’t sure if that was true. What he said about Goodell being murdered was just plain stupid and you’ve got to wonder how long he can keep lobbing grenades and making enemies before he becomes too much of a liability. As for his end game, I don’t think he has one. He seems more interested in calling attention to himself and indulging his ego than in his long-term career prospects.

He’s gonna “hot take” himself out of job eventually. Bank on it. I kinda think he’s lying. When was the last time Fred or Mazz have even been on that show on CSN? Why out of all the guys would they be the ones to go to management about Kirk? I can see Felger doing that. He has that kind of juice and has used it to get Thornton fired over there.

(WTF could anyone sue him for based on what he said this morning? That was a joke.)

I’m a fan. I think he’s honest and doesn’t pretend nor just go along with the trend. He’s polarizing. Seems like in sports talk that you’re “JAG” (and might get lucky to work for ESPN making 7-figures) or you’re polarizing.

People love or hate these types. Read commentary here, SoSH or on Twitter for that.

Many like. Many hate. Many hate because of who he’s on the air with.

Unless there’s another Erin Andrews-like incident, I doubt much of what I said–including his employment–will change. I think the ratings will remain stable, also. Each have an established shtick, style and show.

People constantly compare one show as better than the other based on ratings, which is how it does work, but usually these comments are based on bias. No problem there. Again, this will never change (see what I said the paragraph above).

Honestly, I like the contrast between both stations as it is right now. You, as a consumer in this market have some great options 6-10, 10-2 and 2-6. I don’t want that to change.

And, if this means no more GearBear on WEEI, since SportsHub won’t have him on, I’ll take it. I’m also biased since I didn’t watch his show on CSNNE nor have had cable for 9 months now.

Kirk has never run from controversy. His own or otherwise. And he’s owned up to everything. I listened this morning and to the Breaking Balls podcast and his issue is how Comcast handled it, not the fact that it actually happened.

Literally, every time I flip to the station, the only thing I hear is Felger talking about this. It happened again yesterday, the 10 seconds I was on the station, he was talking about how privately everyone thinks they did something, even if they won’t say so in print. I have the same problem with D&C, I have the uncanny ability to tune in just as they are talking about the latest “hot news” item (read Trump, Hilary, police shootings etc.).

(Heavy sigh). Who the hell is this “everyone” that Felger references? Everyone in the agenda-driven, NFL-butt-kissing media? Jealous fans, coaches and players of other teams? No, Felger, not “everyone” thinks they did something….only asshats with agendas, like you, think anything was deliberately done to those footballs at this point. Those of us who bothered to gather the actual facts know that it’s more probably than not that the whole friggin’ thing was invented out of whole cloth by certain vindictive, petty employees in the league office, and by the Ravens and Colts.

Brady is totally justified in flipping the bird at most of
the media. Not enough media members or
co-workers (NFL wide not Pats, players past and present) had his back. It’s about time somebody like Elway came out
and said, “Who give’s a crap!”
Ultimately, Brady’s anger is not mis-directed. He’s taking it out on the other teams. He’s playing out of his mind right now. Edleman and Brushi and Harrison all alluded
to this over the summer. Watch out NFL,
they said. The NFL’s chickens are coming
home to roost. I can’t wait to see Brady
shove the trophy up goodel’s ass.

He actually did say he was referring to media people. But that just shows how far journalism (or at least sports journalism) has fallen. Actually read Shank’s column the other day (1st time in forever). He manages to lump TB in with Tim Thomas and Tom Cruise with leaps and bounds of supposition.

Ray Lewis
says … when you’re rocking a $250k wardrobe, you’re LESS LIKELY to
kill someone … and that’s kind of the new defense he’s using to
explain why he didn’t murder anybody during an incident back in 2000.

Uhm… Yup… Can’t imagine what the reaction would be if .. well ..

Tom Brady says that when you’re as motherf-cking badass as he is, why would you have to deflate footballs?

I can just hear Mortensen’s angry reply: “I told you, I report whatever the G*d D*mn NFL tells me to report. I keep the public informed, or at least I tell them whatever the NFL wants me to tell them. I’m a lickspittle. I kiss NFL butt better than anyone. I help the NFL deceive the football-watching public. What the hell is wrong with you people?!!??”